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reef2

[reef]Nautical
See more synonyms for reef on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a part of a sail that is rolled and tied down to reduce the area exposed to the wind.
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verb (used with object)
  1. to shorten (sail) by tying in one or more reefs.
  2. to reduce the length of (a topmast, a bowsprit, etc.), as by lowering, sliding inboard, or the like.
  3. to pull (old oakum) out of seams, as with a rave hook (often followed by out).
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Origin of reef2

1350–1400; Middle English refe (noun) < Dutch reef
Related formsun·reefed, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for reefing

Historical Examples

  • In reefing top-sails, the cry when the weather earing is passed.

    The Sailor's Word-Book

    William Henry Smyth

  • The order to come in from the yards when reefing, furling, or other duty is performed.

    The Sailor's Word-Book

    William Henry Smyth

  • The order for men to come in from the yards after reefing or furling.

    The Sailor's Word-Book

    William Henry Smyth

  • Archy had several times been aloft, but had never assisted in reefing.

    Archibald Hughson

    W.H.G. Kingston

  • Do you intend to spend the remainder of the watch in reefing that topsail?

    The Rover's Secret

    Harry Collingwood

British Dictionary definitions for reefing

reef1

noun
  1. a ridge of rock, sand, coral, etc, the top of which lies close to the surface of the sea
  2. a ridge- or mound-like structure built by sedentary calcareous organisms (esp corals) and consisting mainly of their remains
  3. a vein of ore, esp one of gold-bearing quartz
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Word Origin

C16: from Middle Dutch ref, from Old Norse rif rib 1, reef ²

reef2

noun
  1. the part gathered in when sail area is reduced, as in a high wind
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verb
  1. to reduce the area of (sail) by taking in a reef
  2. (tr) to shorten or bring inboard (a spar)
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Word Origin

C14: from Middle Dutch rif; related to Old Norse rif reef, rib 1, German reffen to reef; see reef 1

Reef

noun the Reef
  1. another name for the Great Barrier Reef
  2. another name for the Witwatersrand
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for reefing

reef

v.

1660s, "take in, roll up" (as a sail on a ship), from reef (n.2). Related: Reefed; reefing.

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reef

n.1

"rock ridge underwater," 1580s, riffe, probably via Dutch riffe, from a Scandinavian source, cf. Old Norse rif "ridge in the sea; reef in a sail," literally "rib" (see rib (n.)).

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reef

n.2

"horizontal section of sail," late 14c. (mid-14c. in rif-rope), from a Scandinavian source, cf. Old Norse rif "reef of a sail," probably a transferred use of rif "ridge under the sea; rib" (see rib (n.) and cf. reef (n.1)). German reff, Swedish ref, Norwegian riv, Danish reb likely all are from the Old Norse word.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
reefing in Medicine

reefing

(rē′fĭng)
n.
  1. Surgical reduction of the extent of a tissue by folding it and securing with sutures.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
reefing in Science

reef

[rēf]
  1. A strip or ridge of rocks, sand, or coral that rises to or near the surface of a body of water. See more at coral reef.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.